Bodybuilding & weight training guide

Weight training is a particular form of exercise involving the lifting of weights in a set routine or programme; it is a form of exercise that is used for building bigger muscles and strength. When performed correctly on a daily basis its benefits are numerous including better overall health and a sense of well being, weight training is also the form of exercise used by professional bodybuilders for competition.

It is a form of exercise which both men and women can take part in either to train and build up for completion in body building or just as a way to get fitter, healthier and to develop a better defined body and overall posture.

The basic principle

A weight lifting routine is divided into parts; these are the amount of weight that is lifted, the number of sets performed for each body part and the number of reps in the set. A rep is the act of lifting and lowering a weight once, in the correct form, the set consists of a number of reps of the same exercise been done continually without a break.

* Sets of 1 to 5 reps will develop strength while having minimal effect on the size of muscles.

* Sets of 6 to 12 reps will help with strength, muscle size and endurance.

* Sets of 13 to 20 reps will develop endurance and give some muscle increase.

* Sets of 20 or more reps are considered to have an aerobic affect.

The average person will do around one to six sets per exercise with one to three exercises for each muscle group.

What is progressive overload?

This is a method of weight training where the muscles are over loaded; the person will try to lift as heavier a weight as they are physically possible of doing. The person will then increase this level as they gain strength and endurance, this however is not wise practice for the beginner to weight lifting and great care should be taken when deciding on your maximum weight as injury can occur.

Weight training is a safe and effective form of training when performed correctly but thought should be given to the kind of exercises you are going to add to your routine and the total amount of weight you can safely lift.

Intensity, volume and frequency

These are three important principles of a weight training routine, the intensity means the amount of force which is required to lift the weight outright, volume relates to how many sets, reps and exercises you do during the workout and frequency refers to how many sessions of your routine you do per week. However trying to push too much intensity, frequency and volume into your routine too quickly can lead to over training and injury.